Breaking Secret's
by Joshiro.ukitake
Summary: (SEQUAL of children's secrets) the weeks grow long as the couples are separated in their own worlds, the day they touch might be their last, the kurosaki family is about fall into their greatest adventure yet. Some adult themes but no more then peeks
1. Curing hearts

**so welcome to my sequel! I hope you guys enjoyed children's secrets, I enjoyed writing it for you guys, the love my story got was amazing, so I'm trying again With breaking secrets :) I hope you guys like it just as much as the last.**

**a few words to those who haven't read children's secrets, welcome, if you've sound this by luck then I hope you enjoy it :)**

**bleach doesn't belong to me :(**

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Yuzu bites her lip with a sigh, looking at a clipboard, and then at an aged woman. "It was a close call... If you had been hit a little harder, you could have been put in a coma." The lady nods and smiles gratefully. Her head was bandaged while the blood stopped, and she lay in a hospital bed. "Thank you, dear." Yuzu smiles a little. "It's going to hurt for a little, so you should stay here for the night." The woman nods, and Yuzu attaches the clipboard to the bed and heads to the next patient. The old woman settles into bed, a moment before two little kids enter the room quietly. The sight of the two small kids made the woman and everyone else in the room smile, because how could you not smile. They walked up onto the woman's bed curiously. "Hello, ma'am." They nod politely, smiling innocently. "How did you hurt your head?" She smiles at them and ruffles their hair. "I am getting old, I fell over." They giggle. "Oh, can we hug you?" The woman laughs gently. "Of course." The twins gently hug the old woman. Meanwhile, the quiet conversation sounded like background noise to Yuzu, and she was surprised to turn around and see the twins talking to her patient innocently. She sighs. "Boys, the lady needs to rest." The woman waves it off. "It fine, dear. Are these your brothers?" Yuzu nods. "Yeah, they usually aren't allowed in here while I'm working though… I'm sorry." The woman smiles playfully at the twins. "Ah, you better run off before you guys are caught." The twins laugh before going to scramble off the bed gently, only to be caught and lifted up by Yuzu, who smiles apologetically and carries the twins out of the room under her arms. The twins smile innocently.

Yuzu carries them into the housing area of the clinic and sets them down. "Sogyo... What have I told you guys?" They look innocent. "Don't interrupt you while you're working?" Yuzu nods, but gets cut off by the twins. "But we didn't, we were talking to the lady and you didn't say we couldn't do that." Yuzu goes to argue but they have a point, so she sighs. "Touché..." The twins smile. "Haha, we got you!" She nods. "Fine, but from now on, don't interrupt the patients either." They nod faithfully. "Yes, ma'am!" Yuzu then sits down and looks at them. "So, where's my hug?" They shrug. "You were working, so..." Yuzu bites back a remark as she dug herself into another hole. "You guys are cheeky today." They giggle and jump into her lap, cuddling her close. "We are always like this. You're just making it too easy." She rolls her eyes, shaking her head. The twins stand to kiss her cheeks, making her blush. "Are you going to finish work soon?" She nods. "I have to cook dinner, and then I'll have some spare time." They sigh, looking disappointed. "Oh... You're always so busy." She smiles gently. "I have to work for a living, unlike you guys." They nod. "We know. It's just not fun waiting…" Yuzu lifts the twins onto the couch and stands, going to find their book and putting it in their laps. "Here, finish reading this while you wait. You can read it in my room, if you like." They nod happily, and take the book before running upstairs with it. Yuzu then yawns; the day had been exhausting so far, and she reluctantly returned to work. She was excited the twins were here, but she was also too tired to be overly ecstatic.  
Eventually she was finished with work, showered and even had dinner on and cooking before going up to her room. Sogyo had changed to his bankai form, and was lying on his belly on Yuzu's bed, their teenage form looking as charming as ever. Sogyo looks up to her approach and closes the book, getting up. She now had a double bed and had a black and silver bed set, with the big teddies that Sogyo and Yuzu had won when they went to the show a year or so back. Yuzu was 19 now and had kept her hair short for ease at work. She wasn't gifted with much of a womanly figure as others, but she was still very pretty. Sogyo and Yuzu made a cute pair together.

Yuzu sits and lies down on her bed with a heavy sigh, instantly regretting it as she realised she wouldn't be able to get up. Sogyo looks at her with gentle concern. "Are you okay, Yuzu-san?" Yuzu nods. "Just tired... And sore." Sogyo looks thoughtful. "Would you like us to give you a massage?" Yuzu looks at the teen curiously. "You can do that?" He nods, smiling innocently. "We learned in dad's kido classes years back." Yuzu looks surprised. "Oh... They teach that?" Sogyo chuckles. "Yes, it's a medical technique." She bites her lip. "Alright, it can't hurt right?" He looks thoughtful. "Do you have any body oil?" Yuzu looks thoughtful. "Yeah, in the bathroom, lavender." He nods and leaves to find the oil, returning successfully, and then blushes slightly. "You need to take your shirt off..." Yuzu then blushes and nods. "Okay... Help me up then." Sogyo faithfully lifts her to her feet, and she goes to the bathroom to change into a dressing gown. She returns blushing slightly, and Sogyo leads her to lie down before sitting gently on top of her and freeing her back from the gown. Yuzu was surprised and instantly relived when he starts massaging her back, shoulders and lower back perfectly, as if he'd been doing it all his life. It felt inhumanly good. Yuzu sighs, closing her eyes as she melts to his touch. "Why are you so good at everything?" Sogyo chuckles. "We just are, it comes with practice." Yuzu smiles playfully. "Who do you know that needs a massage?" He looks thoughtful. "Dad uses relaxing therapy a lot." Yuzu nods. "I guess that would help him a lot." Sogyo nods. "Yeah." Sogyo happily continues to massage her, until she reluctantly admits that she had to check up on dinner. She did however find it wasn't so painful to move, and looks at him curiously after covering herself up again in her gown. "You can't be that amazing... What did you do?" Sogyo smiles innocently. "Nothing much." Yuzu raises an eyebrow. "Right..."

Sogyo this time followed Yuzu downstairs and sat at the table while she served up dinner. Karin looked surprised to see Sogyo, obviously not seeing him when they invaded the clinic. "Sogyo? Is it just you today?" Sogyo sat beside Yuzu, not eating because he didn't feel hungry. He nods. "Hitsuguya-kun sends you his regards and apologies, though." Karin nods and smiles gratefully. "Thanks." Yuzu starts eating quietly, before turning to Sogyo. "So, what has been happening in Soul Society? It's been ages since you last visited..." Ages being three weeks, but it was a very long time when you missed someone. Sogyo looks a little guilty. "Sorry... We were sick." Yuzu instantly looks worried. "You were?" He nods. "We are okay now, obviously. But we couldn't work for a few days." Yuzu looks relieved. "That's good that you're better." He nods. "It is." Karin looks at him, having only really heard of the illness. "So what is it really? This illness..." Sogyo looks unsure. "Well... There isn't a cure for it yet…" He smiles a little, innocently. "It makes dad ill and cough blood." Karin looks shocked. "What?" Yuzu nods. "It's like TB in our world." Karin looks understanding. "That's...unfortunate." Sogyo nods. "But it's okay. We don't mind it much now." Yuzu sighs. "I do though..." Sogyo looks guilty again. "Sorry..." Yuzu shakes her head. "It's okay. I just worry." Dinner ended well, as everyone caught up before the dishes were left to Yuzu and of course Sogyo offered his services. Yuzu was really tired however, so after the house was clean, Sogyo put her to bed and lay beside her as she fell asleep, exhausted. It wasn't long before he fell asleep alongside her, comforted by her presence.


	2. Exciting experiences

**Ok, so this has taken a long time to get through me and my beta, but here you go minna, enjoy.**

**btw, if you guys have any bleach questions about my story, feel free to ask, I write my story according to bleach laws and known information, I will explain everything in my story eventywll but if you can't wait, just ask.**

**bleach doesn't belong to me**

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The next day, Yuzu had a day off. Though usually she was too sore to do anything anyway, this morning was no exception, only it wasn't as bad as usual because of Sogyo's treatment last night. Yuzu woke up to see Sogyo still cuddled beside her. Sogyo slept gently, but Yuzu knew that if she let him sleep, he could sleep near endlessly as long as he was with someone he trusted. So she guiltily got up, failing to not wake Sogyo. He stirs gently and yawns, letting her go reluctantly. Yuzu smiles gently. "I'll be back, okay?" He nods, and Yuzu stumbles her way to the bathroom. She decides to take a shower while she is there, and returns in a towel, having forgotten Sogyo was in her room for a moment. She instantly regrets having done so when Sogyo looks surprised, before resisting a laugh after seeing her face go bright red. "I forgot my clothes...shut it!" He stays faithfully quiet, though he couldn't hide his amusement. He politely looks away, being the gentleman he is. Yuzu eventually gets dressed, and still blushing, rejoins Sogyo. "Keep your thoughts to yourself." He smiles innocently. "Yes, Yuzu-san." She blushes, knowing he was hiding something behind that smile. Sogyo sits up and pulls her gently into a hug. "So, what are you doing today? You're not in your uniform." Yuzu reluctantly accepts his hug for a second before melting into his embrace. It was so comforting. "I have a day off... But I don't want to do anything that requires leaving the house. I don't want to go out." Sogyo looks thoughtful. "What if we carried you?" She looks up at him with a blush. "You wouldn't need to... It's okay...unless you're bored already?" He looks at her with a frown. "We don't mind. And we won't be bored with you. But you are always here. So we thought you might like to go somewhere else for a change." She blushes lightly. Those thoughts often crossed her mind, but her body was never ready to go out, so she rarely did. She sighs. "What do you want to do?" Sogyo looks thoughtful. "We don't know..." She looks thoughtful, and suddenly remembers a movie she had been wanting to see. "How about we go to the movies?" He looks at her, confused. "Movies?" She looks surprised. "You haven't been to the movies yet?" They shake their head. "No... We haven't been anywhere in the human world without you. " Yuzu nods. "Okay then, let's go to the movies." He nods. "Should we be in gigai?" She also nods. "Yes, that would be better." He smiles. "Okay, give us a moment." He lets her go and vanishes. Sogyo had come to start keeping his gigai in a spare room at the Kurosaki house, hidden of course so he didn't freak anyone out.

Sogyo returned in his gigai, and had changed his clothes as well. He now wore a blue t-shirt with a black jacket over that, and jeans. Yuzu had to bite her lips to stop from staring at him creepily, because he looked very attractive. "Is this okay?" He asks, and she nods. "Perfect. It totally suits you." He smiles. "You always say that." She sighs. "Because it's insane how well you can pull everything off... Models would pay for that." He looks thoughtful. "We aren't really alive though..." Yuzu smiles, changing the subject. "Okay... Let me get my money." Sogyo nods and Yuzu reaches to her bedside table, picking up her wallet before standing stiffly. Sogyo watches her thoughtfully. "Maybe you could hop on our back?" She blushes. "No, it's okay-" She was cut off as Sogyo picked her up easily in his arms. "Then we will carry you like this." She blushes deeply, seeing she is losing this battle. "Fine, fine...just...I can go on your back." She sighs and Sogyo smiles smugly, putting her down and kneeling so she can hop on his back. He easily stands up with her on his back, and walks outside. "To the town, right?" She nods and points. "That way." He nods and starts walking. "What are movies?" She smiles. "Moving pictures...but they tell a story..." He looks at her. "We can make those in Seireitei. But we use them to report to other captains... Are movies like that?" She looks surprised that they have similar things. "Well...no, kinda. They are made simply for enjoyment. Some make you laugh, some scare you and there's kids' movies as well as adult movies. Some just make your heart beat really fast." Sogyo looks awed. "That sounds amazing..." She smiles. "Just wait till you see it." He nods eagerly and Yuzu places a kiss on his cheek, resting her head on his shoulder. The people that passed by eyed them for a moment, but didn't question them. Yuzu eventually led Sogyo to the theatre and he put her on her feet on arrival, so she could lead the way. Looking at the movies, she decided to watch Epic, a movie she herself had wanted to see, and also knew it would likely sweep Sogyo off his feet. She pays for the tickets, and buys popcorn and drinks before leading Sogyo into the dimly lit theatre. They picked out the best seats and settled down comfortably. Sogyo looked around, curious. He'd noticed that it was all black and dark coloured inside. Curtains covered the walls and a big, black screen was directly in front of him. He asked questions in awe much like a child, until Yuzu had to shush him when the ads came on. "Okay, now you have to be quiet and watch, okay?" He nods faithfully, and immediately surprise and awe took over as he watched the moving pictures. They saw the trailer to The Hobbit and some other movies, which made him desperately want to watch the rest. When the movie finally started, he simply sat silently, obviously enjoying the movie. Yuzu also enjoyed the movie, but not as much compared to Sogyo, who'd never seen anything like this in his life. As the movie finished and the credits started rolling, he looked at Yuzu, amazed. "Movies are awesome." Yuzu giggles. "Yes, they are." He looks at the screen full of words. "What happens now? What's that list?" She smiles. "They are all the people who helped make the movie." He looks shocked. "That many? That's a lot." She nods. "It's a lot of hard work to make a movie like this. It can take years." Sogyo looks thoughtful. "Oh... That's amazing." Yuzu looks curious. "Do you want to watch another movie some other day?" He nods eagerly. "Yes. Oh, what is a Hobbit? We haven't heard of it." She looks confused for a second thinking of Epic, then realising he was talking about The Hobbit trailer "Oh, um... It's like a mini person. They are really short and usually a little chubby. They have really big feet though... Um...they are from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit series." This instantly arouses his curiosity. "Lord of the Rings?" She smiles. "Um... I'm not going to explain that. There's just too much." He looks disappointed for a second before she continues. "We have the movies at home if you want to watch it with me one day... There's not enough time today though." He smiles. "That would be amazing!" She giggles. "Alright then, we can have a movie day on our next day off." He looks curious. "Will it really take a day?" She smiles. "Yes... The movies are all atleast three hours long. And we have the extended versions." He looks shocked. "That's a lot of time... Was this one that long?" She shakes her head. "No, this one was nowhere near. Like maybe two hours." He looks thoughtful for a second before asking more questions. Eventually they were asked to leave the theatre so they could clean up, and Sogyo once more took Yuzu onto his shoulders. "So, where to now?" He was excited about the movies but they could wait like Yuzu said.

Yuzu looks thoughtful and has an idea. "Go that way." She says, pointing down the street. He nods faithfully, letting her lead him to another park, one he'd never been before. It was just a walking park with paths through gardens. She continued leading him into a hedged off area. There was big fountain with an edge wide enough to sit on. Sogyo let her down, and she pulled him over to the fountain to sit on the edge. It was now evening, and the two were bathed in a gentle orange light, with the wind blowing gently. The walk had calmed Sogyo's high after the movie, and he enjoyed the peace. "There are a lot of pretty places here in the real world..." He smiles at Yuzu. "Yeah, it's not all just work like Seireitei." Sogyo sighs, looking at her. "You look really pretty in this light." She blushes. "Thank you... You're rather handsome yourself, you know..." He smiles before leaning in to kiss her gently. "We missed you...a lot." He murmurs. She smiles, kissing him back. "I missed you too... How long will you be here this time?" He looks thoughtful. "Until tomorrow night... When will you be working next?" She looks a little sad. "Tomorrow..." He nods. "It's okay." He looks around thinking, before randomly pushing her into the fountain. She squeals with surprise, now soaked, sitting in the fountain. She looks at him, shocked. "What the hell, Sogyo?" He smiles innocently. "You fell in? Did you lean back too far?" She looks a little annoyed. "You would know..." Sogyo chuckles. "Kinda like how we met, don't you think?" She looks surprised, realising he was right for a second, before remembering she was still being watered by the fountain. She decided to drag him in with her and he falls in backwards too, after a tug to his shirt from behind. He looks surprised for a second. "We fell in..." Yuzu nods, crossing her arms. "You are silly children then. Did you lean back too far?" She smiles playfully and Sogyo chuckles. "Oops..." Yuzu splashes him playfully. "Payback." He smile. "We guess we asked for that..." He suddenly grabs her and tickles her, causing her to try and wriggle free, laughing. "Hey! Sogyo! Stop..." Finally he freed her and she sat down in the water, catching her breath. "You are so evil." Sogyo looks innocent. "We are evil?" In another moment he had topped her gently and looked down at her, smiling. "We don't think we are evil." The change of position froze her, as he looked extremely attractive. She stumbles out a reply. "N-no..." He leans down to kiss her lovingly and Yuzu answers back, slightly heated and blushing. He smiles, not hesitating to answer her passion. Reluctantly the two broke up their make out session, only to move further into the park where no one would find them so they could continue. They got home late that evening, and after showering so they wouldn't catch a cold, they crawled into bed holding each other close.

Yuzu decided to pretend to be sick the next day, refusing to work so she could relax with Sogyo again. She needed a good rest, so Yuzu set up popcorn so they could watch the movies. They started with The Hobbit, the first of the soon to be six movies in the series. Sogyo was captured by it instantly. The story intrigued him and afterwards, for interest, she showed him how they made the movie. He was amazed at the work that was put into a film like this. The fun was cut short when Sogyo was called back. He apologised sincerely, but left just as quickly as if he'd never been there, like usual. Yuzu was instantly depressed, and decided to watch the next Hobbit film to take her mind off it. She would have no excuse but to work tomorrow, and begin missing Sogyo all over again. She soon buries herself in her work again, and barely noticed the time pass by. Sogyo didn't visit for another month at least. Toshiro however did, and stated the reason why he couldn't come was because of complications. Toshiro didn't spare them from knowledge of when Jushiro was ill, so the complication must not have been illness. But he didn't say what it was either, so Yuzu couldn't help but worry.

A month had definitely passed when she woke up, sighing because she just didn't feel like getting up. After half an hour of simply laying in bed, she finally groans and crawls out of bed and goes downstairs. Karin had gone away with her friends on a holiday, and Isshin had gone to a conference, so Yuzu had the house to herself since she'd been feeling ill lately. After finally deciding to have some cereal for breakfast, she sits down to eat. She ate a few mouthfuls before gasping and putting her hand to her mouth, rushing to the sink to expel her breakfast. She felt faint and couldn't help but throw up again, because of the smell. Her sickness seemed to settle then, and she cleaned up the mess quickly so not to get sick again. She then disinfected the sink strongly. Yuzu however couldn't eat anymore as it just made her feel queasy, and put it aside. She instead took out some biscuits which were good for illness, and sat watching a movie until her sickness passed. She didn't tell anyone what had happened when they returned, as it was embarrassing.


	3. Depressing events

**ok, so I have this really bad habit of finishing a chapter and getting it beta'ed but I forget to actually ****post the chapter, so I will slowly be posting the chapters I've done, enjoy.. Sorry for the wait**

**bleach belongs to kubo tite**

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"Yuzu… Are you okay? You have been acting weird lately..." Karin eyes her sister questioningly. Yuzu nods. "I'm fine... Just a little depressed." Karin looks thoughtful. "It's Sogyo, isn't it?" Yuzu blushes. "Yeah..." Karin frowns. "He's a bit unreliable, isn't he?" Yuzu immediately looks annoyed. "No, he's just busy... Like Toshiro." Karin puts her hands up. "Okay... It's just what is it. A little over a month now?" Yuzu looks slightly upset. "Yeah..." She had been feeling very emotional for no reason lately, and combined with her illness, it didn't make her a very happy camper. Karin sighs. "Well, dad asked me to make sure you went to bed early. He thinks you're not getting enough sleep." Yuzu nods with a sigh. "Fine…" Although admittedly, she had been so hot lately that she hadn't been able to get much sleep. Karin picks up her empty bowl, and then Yuzu's. "Go on, I'll clean up tonight. Get some rest, okay?" Yuzu goes to argue, but Karin stops her. "Go." Yuzu frowns in defeat and wanders upstairs.  
Karin occupies herself with cleaning up the kitchen while Yuzu goes into the shower. After a while, a knock sounds on the front door, and Karin goes to answer it. No one is there in her sight, and with a frown she walks out the front, hopefully to catch the knocker… Only to find herself caught in a tight grasp, a cold blade at her throat. She was unable to breath or move. "Who is this...?" She asks bravely. The male holding her silences her by pressing the blade against her throat a little closer. "Shut up. Don't look behind you. Don't move, or I will kill you." Karin gulps and stays quiet, not recognising the voice. The male starts dragging her inside. "Where are your valuables? I want it all, the drugs, everything." She continues boldly. "I'm not telling you. You won't get anything." The male throws her to the floor and Karin coughs heavily, but before she can move, he steps on her so she can't get up. Yuzu finishes in the shower then. The sound of water stops, revealing her presence in the house. The male immediately looks on guard. "Who is here with you?" Karin, desperately hoping Yuzu stays quiet and doesn't come down, replies sarcastically. "No one is here. The house just makes a lot of weird noises." The male kicks her, making her gasp. "Don't lie. I'll kill you."

Yuzu, feeling better after showering, comes downstairs. "Karin-chan? Have you seen my teddy?" Karin immediately goes to move, screaming. "YUZU! RUN!" Yuzu is shocked and walks around the corner, suddenly walking in on the scene. The man quickly pulls out a gun and pulls the trigger, not once but three times, hitting Yuzu squarely on her shoulder, chest and neck. Karin cries out. "YUZU!" Yuzu however barely recognises that she has been hit. In shock, she falls to her knees before coughing up blood. "Karin-chan..." The male, having made his presence known to the rest of the neighbourhood, curses. "Bitch! Look what you've made me do!" Karin stands, no longer afraid, and throws herself at the male, only to be shot twice in her chest. She gasps in pain, but doesn't stop and puts her strength into a heavy punch before collapsing with heavy coughs. Yuzu can no longer hold herself up and falls onto her side, gasping with tears. "K-Karin-chan... Are you…okay...?" The male had fallen over, then stands and takes off running, leaving the house quickly. It would only be a matter of minutes before the police shows up.  
Karin crawled over to Yuzu and hugs her, sobbing. "Yuzu... Hold on, okay? Help will be here soon..." Yuzu weakly found comfort in her hold. "Y-you're bleeding..." Karin shook it off. "I-I'm okay… It doesn't hurt much…" Yuzu blacked out then, and Karin followed suit not long after. The police eventually reached the house, finding the two dying girls. It was a miracle they made it to the hospital alive, and both girls were put on life support.

Jushiro came to the real world a few days later to find that the police had taped up the Kurosaki clinic. He immediately walked into the house to investigate, finding the sickening stains of blood on the floor. There was a police officer, talking on the phone. "Suspect hasn't been found yet... That's a shame." The officer turned toward Jushiro and looked away, only to look back again in shock. He could see the shinigami. "Hey… You're not allowed in here." He snaps the phone shut, facing Jushiro. "This is a crime scene." Jushiro looks slightly surprised that the officer could see him, and looks apologetic. "I'm sorry, I'm looking for some family here... What happened?" The officer looks at Jushiro, unsurely. "Your name?" Jushiro was always good at acting, and pretended he was trying to keep his cool. "Jushiro... Jushiro Kurosaki. I'm an uncle to the girls here. Please... Tell me what happened." The officer believed his acting. "Uh... I'm not really allowed to say..." Jushiro pretends to look desperate. "Please... At least where can I find my girls?" The officer sighs. "Alright, alright... They are victims of a break and enter. So far, nothing was taken, but the girls are on life support. They are at the public hospital. Just leave quickly, alright? You really shouldn't be here…" Jushiro looks grateful before pulling out his memory modifier and looking apologetic. "Of course." He clicks the device, leaving the officer in a puff of smoke. The officer would have no recollection of Jushiro at all. He took off in flash steps, and Sogyo immediately appeared beside Jushiro, worried. "Dad..." He nods. "I know… We are going. I'll see what I can do." Sogyo couldn't help looking upset. "We failed..." Jushiro stops, landing on the hospital roof. "You couldn't have done anything. We aren't supposed to meddle in the concerns of the humans." Sogyo still looks guilty. "But..." Jushiro sighs. "I told you, I will see what can be done. This is after all a human affair." Sogyo bites his lip and nods, vanishing. Jushiro was sad to know this, but he took it as the captain he was, and captains didn't show their feelings in cases like this.

Jushiro easily located the girls room, jumping in through the window that was open. The girls were both unconscious, wrapped up in bandages. Jushiro first inspected Yuzu, determining with a heavy heart. It was going to be hard for her to recover. Her reiatsu also had a strange feeling to it, but he wasn't sure why. Karin was better off, she was stronger and would defiantly recover in time. Her vital organs had been missed luckily enough. A nurse walked into the room and ironically enough, she also saw Jushiro. "Sir? When did you get in here?" He again acts superbly, looking worried. "I came to find my brother, he said my nieces were in hospital." She looks at the girls sadly. "They came in a few days ago." He looks at the girls. "Please… Save them…" The nurse pauses, looking slightly guilty. "We are doing our very best, but..." She didn't want to say any more. "It's going to be hard... If they wake up, you should spend what time you can with them." She bites her lip, and Jushiro nods. "Thank you." The nurse nods and excuses herself, leaving Jushiro alone. He understood her words perfectly. Sogyo appears again, and sits beside Yuzu holding her hand gently, heavy with guilt. Jushiro drops his act and sits on the floor with a sigh, not sure what he should do. The door opened again, and this time Isshin walks in, dropping down beside Jushiro. "Odd place for a captain to be, huh Jushiro?" Jushiro looks at Isshin. "It is, a little bit..." Isshin was playing strong, smiling playfully. "Shouldn't it be you in that bed?" Jushiro smiles a little. "Very funny." He looks at Isshin kindly. "How do you feel about this...?" Isshin sighs. "I'm hurt, naturally... But you know, I've been in both sides. I guess I'm glad I know what they're facing." Isshin betrays how upset he is, and Jushiro nods. "Karin-san may survive. But..." Isshin continues quietly. "I know... But I can't bear my babies being alone..."

Both men knew what it meant. Isshin then turns to Jushiro. "Why are you here?" Jushiro looks over at Sogyo. "We owed a visit." Isshin bites his lip. "If I let them go, can I follow them?" Jushiro doesn't answer for a moment. "Are you really willing to go back?" He nods. "I know it's going to be a bit like hell... But I'll follow my daughters anywhere." Jushiro stays quiet. "I can't take you there myself, but you should ask Kisuke. He will show you through." Isshin bites his lip. "In that case, I guess I can let them go... So I can find them again." The decision obviously hurt him, but at the same time, gave him peace that his girls wouldn't be hurting anymore. Isshin stands and looks at his girls for a long minute, before leaning down and kissing their foreheads. "I'll find you both soon, promise." With that, he went to talk to the doctor. Sogyo drops down beside Jushiro. "What now...?" Jushiro smiles sadly. "We wait here, it likely won't be such a long wait." Sogyo looks dejected, and changes to his twin form, so he can sit in Jushiro's lap and cuddle to him.


	4. A journey

**here's the next ch, I waited a few days to post this, so I hope you like this**

**bleach belongs to kubo tite**

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When Isshin had taken the girls to the hospital after the attack, it was said that it was unlikely they would survive. By a miracle, after hours of being in the emergency room, the girls were brought to a seemingly stable condition, but Isshin knew the truth. Yuzu would likely have problems with her throat due to her injury, and her chances of surviving were slim. Karin had better chances, but since they both had to be on life support for the time being, their lives were still in danger. Isshin was given the choice to let them go or keep them with him. He of course couldn't decide what he wanted to do, until he was unexpectedly visited by Jushiro. The choice seemed a little bit easier now, since he knew that if Jushiro was here, he would not only send them to Soul Society safely, but also ensure they found each other there, and look after them until the time came when Isshin could take his place.

With a heavy heart, he went to the doctor with his decision. "I'd like you to turn off their life support..." He can't help looking upset, and the doctor nods sadly. "You're certain about this?" Isshin nods. "I don't want to see my girls in pain anymore..." The doctor nods with a sigh. "Alright, I'll arrange it shortly. Have you said your farewells?" Isshin nods. "I'm ready when you are." The doctor nods, and grimly reported Isshin's decision before walking to the girls room. He couldn't see Jushiro and Sogyo sitting quietly against the wall on the floor, and hesitantly flicked the switches on the girls' life support. He then leaves, looking grim.

Isshin keeps his eyes on his girls, watching the monitors beep slower and slower. Yuzu's was the first to come to a stop. However, as expected, Yuzu didn't pass on. She woke up with a groan, her regrets keeping her from passing to Soul Society. At first, she didn't realise that she had died, sitting up and painfully holding her head. It was when she remembered what had happened to her that she looked at herself, realising there was a chain connected to her chest. She sat up and immediately started to freak out, looking around and realising she was in the hospital. "No... I couldn't have?" He goes over to her silently, pulling her into a hug. "It's okay... Trust me..." Yuzu hugged him back tight, starting to cry. She hadn't noticed Karin yet, nor Jushiro and Sogyo. She suddenly remembered Karin and looks up at him desperately. "Where is Karin-chan? Is she...?" Isshin didn't know what to say to her, so he just hugs her tight, comforting Yuzu.

Karin's guilt of not being able to protect Yuzu kept her from passing, and as her heart finally came to a stop, she also woke with the same confusion her sister had woken up with. Karin sat up with a groan, the pain bringing tears to her eyes, and she realised there was a chain connected to her chest. It hurt when she pulled the chain and then she started to panic, remembering that Yuzu had passed out before she had. "Yuzu?" She looks around desperately, to see her in Isshin arms. Yuzu looks up to see her sister, and relief washed over their features as they both got up to hug each other close. "Yuzu... I'm sorry... I couldn't protect you" Karin nods. "Together."

"What's going to happen now...?" Yuzu looks at Isshin, and he hugs the girls. "You can pass over now." They immediately look at him, unsure. "What about you? We can't leave you like this?" He sighs. "Well, it was meant to be a visit... But now I have duties." Karin looks confused. "Duties" The girls look anxious. "So we have to go with you...?" He shakes his head. "Not exactly... But don't worry. I'll help you pass over."

The twins had cuddled to Yuzu guiltily, but couldn't help feeling something was off with her. However, they just couldn't put their finger on it. Even in death, her reiatsu was tainted with something. They didn't show their confusion, and simply cuddled Yuzu. "Is there anything you want to do before you leave the human world? You probably won't get the chance to do it if not now..." Yuzu looks worried, and then glances at Karin. They seemed to have the same idea. "We would like to visit mom's grave..." Jushiro nods. "You're welcome to do so." He looks thoughtful before bringing his hands together, and when he opened it, a beautiful black and red butterfly flew from his palm and came to rest on Karin's shoulder. "I don't have to leave for a while. Just call my name when you are ready." Yuzu looks grateful. "Thank you, Ukitake-taicho..." He smiles kindly. "It's fine." He looks at Sogyo and nods, and the twins fade away. They still looked depressed, but followed their orders obediently. Isshin looks at Jushiro. "Thanks." Jushiro nods before going to the window, nimbly stepping out of it and flash stepping away. Isshin looks at the girls. "Shall we go?" The girls nod, and the family leaves the hospital together for the last time, and start walking to the other side of town to the graveyard.

Yuzu looks uncertain. "Dad... What does it mean to cross over? What happens? " Karin looks just as curious, and Isshin sighs. "If you cross over by yourself, then it means that you are at peace with your lives. If you find yourself still here after you die, then you died with regrets for some reason. You will need a shinigami to send you over instead. To cross over means everything is washed away, so you can start living a new life in Soul Society. Some people remember their human lives, others don't... We don't know why that is. But as long as you go together, you will stay together." Karin looks hopeful. "Will we be able to see everyone?" Isshin nods. "You will see everyone important to you." Karin looks grateful, thinking of how she missed Toshiro.  
The evening had set in by the time they got to their mother's grave, and they sat there for a while just remembering the past and talking. Finally, they nervously decided that they were ready, and called Jushiro. He found them easily and approached them. "You're sure you're ready?" The girls nod uncertainly, and get even more afraid when Jushiro unsheathed his zanpaktou. "W-what are you…?" He looks gentle. "Don't worry... I'm not going to hurt you. I am performing a konso. Hold your hands, okay?" The girls comply, holding each other's hands tight. Jushiro holds Sogyo backwards to press his hilt against the girls' foreheads, gently leaving a kido mark, before shifting Sogyo in his hands to hold it properly. The girls freeze, suddenly feeling at ease before sinking into the ground where two hell butterflies appear where they were standing. Jushiro pulls out his communicator, sending a message before looking at Isshin. "Let me know when you get there, however long that might take." Isshin nods sadly. "I trust you to look after my girls, Jushiro." Jushiro nods, before lifting his blade and using it to unlock the gate, and shortly heads back to Soul Society.

Yuzu and Karin opened their eyes to a part of Soul Society that they'd never been before. They stood in the middle of a dirt street, surrounded by old, run down houses that had a distinct ancient Japanese style. They wore just a plain yukata, and all their wounds were healed. They looked at each other cluelessly. "This is Soul Society..." Karin says. Yuzu looks unsure. "I think so... I only know what Seireitei looks like..." Karin looks around. "What should we do?" Yuzu looks unsure. "I don't know..." The two girls starts walking on the rough road. People would look at them curiously, realising they were new. A few people asked if they were alright, and they said they weren't sure. It was near half a day before they were approached by none other than Toshiro. "Yuzu, Karin…" Karin immediately hugs him, letting him know they remembered him. He looks grateful and hugs her tight, before looking guilty. "I... I'm sorry... If I'd been there…" Karin shakes her head. "It's okay. There was nothing that could have been done." He smiles a little, and kisses her lovingly. "I love you." She blushes, kissing back. "I love you, too." She smiles. "At least now it might not be so hard to see you." He smiles back. "Hopefully."  
Yuzu watched their reunion happily, before looking questioningly at him. "Did you find us by luck?" He shook his head. "A request from Juusanbantai Taicho, Ukitake Jushiro. I need to escort you to Ugendo." Yuzu looks surprised. "Ukitake-san... Taicho... Is he going to look after us?" Toshiro looks uncertain. "I have no idea what they plan for you." Karin looks curious. "They?" He nods. "I believe Isshin has plans. But let's go, it will take a while." They nod and follow him. During their walk, Toshiro explains this world to the girls in further detail. It took the rest of the day to get the girls to Ugendo, and Jushiro still wasn't there. Toshiro left them there, leaving them with the instructions he was given. "Make yourself at home. Yuzu knows her way around." So Yuzu and Karin sat quietly on the veranda looking over the water, talking about everything that had happened so far.


	5. Strange signs

**Ok, so things are sort of getting complicated, ifmyou like I'll start posting little foot notes explaining terms and stuff, but you guys should be right.**

**bleach is not mine**

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Jushiro returned home later in the evening rather tired, politely knocking on the door before entering as he had guests. They greeted him nervously. "Taicho..." He smiles politely, also looking a little hesitant. "Good evening, girls." Yuzu looks at him questioningly. "Are you alright, taicho?" He nods. "Of course... I was just making sure you remembered me." That explained Toshiro's hesitation as well. Yuzu nods. "We remember." Jushiro looks pleased. "That saves a lot of effort, then." Karin, having never been here before, watches quietly. "Taicho, why are we here?" Jushiro looks at her. "I will explain in a bit, don't worry." Karin nods and looks at Yuzu. Jushiro politely excuses himself, going to the kitchen to make tea and dinner for his guests before returning. "Now let me start... Your father actually already has family here... But he hasn't been in contact with them in quite a while. At this point, I believe his intention is to arrange to stay with the Shiba family… With you two of course. Until this is arranged, you can stay here. I'm perfectly happy to keep you safe as requested." The girls had started eating, listening with surprise as he explained over a cup of tea. Yuzu looks curious. "Are you friends with the... Shiba family?" Jushiro nods quietly, looking thoughtful as if he was remembering the past. "Yes, I am quite familiar with them." Yuzu looks awed. "You seem to know everybody..." He chuckles. "I believe it comes with my age." Karin looks at him. "Do you have work tomorrow, sir?" He shakes his head. "I'm taking a day for rest tomorrow, so I will be home if you need anything. Oh, I almost forgot, you will both be staying in the spare room. There should be two beds there in the cupboards." Yuzu stands up, looking grateful. "Thank you for your kindness, taicho." Karin stands with her sister and thanks him too, before going with Yuzu to get the beds ready. Jushiro cleaned up and took a bath before settling down to rest. Yuzu and Karin seemed to look after each other more than anything, so he didn't have much to do. He was however very tired, and fell asleep not long after. The girls almost woke him up accidentally, not realising he had fallen asleep by the time they'd finished with the room. They shortly decided to retire to bed as well, though the day's events still ran through their minds and they were too buzzed to sleep. Yuzu sat on her bed cross legged, facing Karin who sat on her own bed. "This is pretty crazy, don't you think?" Karin nods. "Yeah... Is this where you stayed when you visited?" Yuzu smiles. "Yeah, it's pretty nice here." Karin smiles a little. "Shouldn't Sogyo be here?" Yuzu looks unsure. "He usually comes out when I come... But I don't know, maybe I'll see him tomorrow. I hope so anyway... Though he tends to appear randomly..." Speaking of the devil, they decide to make their appearance. "We do?" The girls jump, and Yuzu sighs. "Yes... You just proved it." They smile mischievously. "Sorry, we didn't mean to scare you." Karin shakes it off. "It's okay." The twins go over to Karin curiously. "Have we met you properly?" Karin looks unsure. "Well, we have talked a little I think..." They look thoughtful and greeted politely. "We are Sogyo no Kotowari. A pleasure." Karin blushes. "Oh... Karin. A pleasure." Yuzu smiles. "You should hug her, Sogyo!" They look pleased at the idea, and they both hug her, shocking Karin a bit. She looks at Yuzu helplessly. She'd never been good with kids, unlike Yuzu. The twins smile innocently before running over to Yuzu. Walking behind her, they seem to glow for a second before changing to their teenage form, and hugs her from behind and nuzzle her lovingly. Karin had never seen them change before, and looks at them with surprise. Yuzu happily sinks into his embrace. Karin looks at Sogyo confused, and Sogyo nods in greeting again. "Karin-san, are you okay?" She looks hesitant. "Are you still...?" Sogyo smiles. "Yes, we have two forms. We are still Sogyo no Kotowari." Yuzu looks at Karin questioningly. "Did I never tell you about this?" She shakes her head. "I never really had too much to do with Sogyo. Like you didn't with 'Shiro..." Yuzu nods. "That's right... Oh well, better late than never." Karin nods in agreement. It was about then that the girls decided to go to bed, and Sogyo slept faithfully beside Yuzu, holding her close.

Jushiro slept in for his standards, waking up when the girls did after the sun had risen. Karin was used to being up early, and woke up at eight on the dot. Yuzu woke up not long after, feeling ill, but she didn't voice it. Jushiro quietly went on with his daily routine, folding his bed neatly before dressing and having his meds and tea. Karin quietly left the room but felt awkward, because she didn't know him well. He invited her to sit down, and she complied politely. Jushiro smiles gently. "Good morning, Karin-san." She nods. "Yes, Um... Taicho…" He looks out his back door, over the water view. "How do you feel today?" She nods. "Fine... I slept well." He looks relieved. "I'm glad. I was a little worried." She smiles a little. "Worried…?" He looks thoughtful. "Well, my home isn't really cut out for many visitors... So I worry." Karin nods. "Oh. I think your home is wonderful." He smiles. "It is a nice place." Their chat was interrupted by rushed footsteps, as Yuzu hurried to the loo to get sick. Karin instantly stands and goes over, while Sogyo goes to Jushiro to explain what he knew… Which was nothing. "She just left in a hurry..." He looks worried.

Yuzu reluctantly let Karin in to see her. She was incredibly embarrassed, so Karin speaks gently. "Yuzu, what's wrong?" Yuzu looks defeated. "I don't know... I just really needed to get sick…" Karin runs through illnesses in her head, before sitting Yuzu and inspecting her. She didn't have too much of a temperature or any other traits that pointed out an illness… Unless she was pregnant, but that was impossible. They both just died. However, Karin had a feeling, so she pressed her hand against her belly, which was firm. She pales, as does Yuzu when they both realised what it was. "Th-that's impossible... I just died..." Karin nods in faint agreement, inspecting her from the side. She was firm, but although she didn't have a bump per say, that was the only way to explain it. "Did you have your periods before you died?" Yuzu pales further. "No..." Karin lets out a breath. "Is this even possible…?" Yuzu suddenly felt like crying. "What if it is…?" Karin gulps. "Is there anyone you can ask?" Yuzu didn't want to ask Jushiro, because then he would know what Sogyo had been up to. She suddenly thought of Unohana-taicho, but she was afraid to ask her. "Yes… But she is a captain." Karin pales. "That's... I'll talk to Ukitake-taicho. Pretend you're really sick, okay? Go back to bed and I'll see what I can do." Yuzu nods, feeling lost. Karin leaves the room before Yuzu, and goes to Jushiro nervously. "I think Yuzu has a bug." Jushiro looks anxious. "Will she be okay? Unohana-san will come by later, if you need her." Karin assumes she is the healer. "I'll see how she goes... I told her to get some rest." Jushiro nods. "That's fine. I'm sure you know what you're doing, Karin-san." She blushes and returns to Yuzu's side. Sogyo felt guilty again, retreating home since the girls obviously needed some time.

Retsu visited around mid morning, and Jushiro was at the door before she was there and greeted her outside with a loving kiss and cuddle. She greeted him happily. "Good morning, Jushiro... I trust you slept well?" He smiles. "Of course, who couldn't when they think of someone such as you?" She blushes. "So early with the charm. Is there something you want from me, taicho?" He smiles innocently. "Not at all. Would you like some tea?" Then he remembered Yuzu. "Actually, do you mind doing a check up...?" She looks him up and down. "Are you unwell, dear?" He shakes head. "Not me, one of my guests." She nods. "I can do that while you make tea, if you want." He nods. "As you wish. Tell me when you're ready." Retsu nods before being shown to Yuzu's room, knocking lightly before entering. Yuzu blushes, looking unsure, but feels a little relieved when she sees Retsu. "Taicho..." She immediately notes Yuzu's tainted reiatsu, and kneels down beside her. "Are you feeling okay, Yuzu-san?" She blushes, biting her lip, and Karin immediately got nervous. Retsu smiles politely. "Unohana-taicho of the Fourth division, supply and healing. A pleasure to meet you." Karin blushes. "Karin... Karin Kurosaki." Retsu looks at Yuzu questioningly. "Ukitake-san asked me to see if you were alright." Yuzu bites her lip, but feels too nervous to say anything. Karin sighs. "Um... It's… It's kind of personal..." Retsu nods. "I will not share it with anyone, unless it becomes a danger to Yuzu-san's health." Karin nods timidly. "Is it possible to get pregnant as a soul?" Retsu looks at Yuzu, thoughtfully. "No... Not once you're a soul." Karin looks unsure, but then Retsu takes Yuzu's hand for a moment before looking surprised. "Please lay down." She blushes and nods, complying so Retsu can place her hands on Yuzu's belly. She looks thoughtful. "Once you die, your soul is frozen in a sense. You can age, but it's a slow process and it takes centuries. You can't however breed, your body loses those capabilities in death." She looks at Yuzu. "But there are some exceptions. If you die while in an impregnated state, your body retains those functions." The girls instantly look shocked, and Retsu smiles. "You are a carrier, and you're pregnant. Congratulations." Yuzu suddenly feels weak. "No way..." Karin is shocked to silence, and Retsu stands. "I'll let you process this before you have to decide what you wish to do." She leaves quietly to reunite with Jushiro, keeping the secret for now.

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CARRIER: a female that has died in her early pregnancy, her soul retains the memories of motherhood thus a carrier is one of the few souls able to reproduce, females born to a carrier also carry her genes meanibg they are also able to reproduce

it should also be noted that males have a similar condition, some male souls can impregnate a carrier, others can't, it's luck of the draw and depends on two souls compatibility.


	6. Antics of the dead

**so here's the next one minna :D and I wonder if your noticing the references I'm putting in to make it interesting ;) **

**kubo tite owns bleach :|**

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Karin looks at the very pale-looking Yuzu. "Um..." Yuzu sighs, almost starting to cry. "What should I do...?" Karin gulps. "I-I don't know... How am I supposed to know? You're the preg one." Yuzu sits up. "You're not helping. At all." Karin sighs. "You're the one who didn't use protection. Don't get snippy with me." She frowns, and Yuzu tears up. "I'm sorry... I'm just..." She trails off, and Karin pulls her into hug. "It's alright. So, I'm guessing the father is..." Yuzu nods, Karin look confused. "Unohana-taicho just said souls lose that abilitynow what?" Yuzu sighs, upset. "I don't know..." Karin looks thoughtful. "I'm sure there's a way of terminating it... Ask Unohana-taicho." Yuzu blushes. "But that's... I don't think I'd have the heart... It's cruel." Karin sighs. "Then what? You're going to look after the baby?" Yuzu bites her lip. "I'll have to. But... Can I even The baby obviously still wants to be here. It even survived death with me. So I'll keep it." Karin nods. "I'd probably make the same choice." Yuzu bites her lip. "Tonight, I'll tell taicho." Karin nods. "I'll be with you. We have looked after mothers before. We should be fine." Yuzu nods. "Thanks."

Jushiro had settled down with tea next to Retsu, watching the waters of the lake from his veranda. "I'm probably just worrying, but is Yuzu-san okay?" Retsu nods, before sipping her tea and smiling gently. "She will be fine." He looks relieved. "That's good to hear. I'd be in a tough situation if she wasn't." She looks thoughtful. "You would be fine, stop stressing or I'll put you to sleep, dear." He sips his tea with a smile. "Yes, ma'am..." She smiles triumphantly. "There's a good taicho." Jushiro sighs, and looks at her. "How long did it take you to get such authority over me?" She smiles innocently. "Five minutes." He bites his lip. "Sounds about right." She looks at him. "Can you guess how long it took to fall for you?" He looks unsure. "I think it might be dangerous to answer that question..." She smiles. "The moment I saw your eyes, I knew I'd never be able to bear seeing you hurt. I would have to heal you if I did..." He blushes and smiles. "Who knew my eyes were so intriguing But I like putting time into precious things." She smiles back, blushing even more. "You are shockingly charming. It catches me off-guard." He looks innocent. "Should I apologise?" She smiles and leans to kiss him gently, to which he happily complies. "I love you." He murmurs gently against her lips. She hugs him with a peaceful sigh. "I love you, too." The two had forgotten about the girls in the next room in their moment. Retsu smiles playfully before starting to tickle him, and Jushiro instantly tried to wriggle free, to no success of course, because Retsu pounced on him, holding him down. Jushiro could only laugh at her mercy. Retsu rarely took days off, but when she did, Jushiro was usually working. So the few days they both had off was spent simply talking and relaxing, occasionally going for a swim or if you were lucky, you could catch them being kids. They often forgot their duties until an urgent hell butterfly called them back to the real world.

Retsu finally freed Jushiro, smiling innocently. "Are you okay, taicho? You look a little out of breath..." He was trying catch his breath and pouting. "You are so unfair." She feigns innocence flawlessly. "Me? That's doesn't seem right, taicho…" He sighs, looking her up and down before freeing himself gently. "I'm afraid to hurt you…" She blushes a little, and he grins mischievously, "…but not wet you." He admits before grabbing her lightly, causing her to blush deeply, and pushing her off the edge of the veranda. The water was shallow and not far under below, so she was never in danger. She was however surprised. "Jushiro!" She spluttered, now drenched, and looks at him. He simply stood up. "Yes taicho?" He steps away from the edge as to avoid being pulled in. "What happened? Did you fall in?" She frowns. "When I catch you..." He is instantly gone before she can finish her sentence. "You are so going to sleep. For a very long time." She gets up and steps out of the water, her uniform sticking to her. She unties her hair so it could dry, making sure to pull her uniform to cover her chest properly. And so began a game of chase that lasted all afternoon. Jushiro quickly escaped to Seireitei. Shunsui eventually caught up to him, sensing his rush, and asks with a grin. "What did you do this time?" Jushiro looks hurried. "I pushed her into the lake." Shunsui laughs. "You're a dead man. See you tomorrow." And he just as quickly left him. Retsu caught up when Jushiro had to stop on the outskirts of Seireitei. He was instantly put to sleep the second he saw her eyes, and she catches him triumphantly. She carried him back to Ugendo with care, but he wouldn't wake up for a very long time. When he did, he would be bound by kido and at her mercy again. The girls decided to talk to the captain the next day, as they realised that he was… occupied. They wondered if this happened a lot.


	7. Crickets

**ok, somive noticed my chapters have been a bit short lately, im sorry if you don't like it, I also know that I've been taking forever to update with these smaller chapters... There's a lot of information I have to link up right so I don't confuse you guys, especially the ones that have rea. The story before this one, so I'm making sure not to make holes and explain adequately what I'm writing about.. So first I'll apologise for the waits, next the length and I really hope I'm keeping you guys intrigued :) **

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Jushiro was finally freed from Retsu's payback with a headache, thanks to the lovely kido she practised on him, all completely harmless of course. But it had a bit of an after bite. She often used this kido on misbehaving members of 11th division when they visited. Jushiro however still regretted nothing. He was looking forward to her next day off. In fact, he would likely visit her that afternoon after he had got some 'natural' sleep. Jushiro decided not to go to work the next day, and the girls took the chance to finally admit what had been discovered when Jushiro woke up that morning, remarkably after the girls had started their day.

They made him tea and breakfast, before nervously starting the topic. "Taicho..." Yuzu looks unsure and nervous, although luckily her morning sickness had already passed. "I… Um..." He looks at her patiently, waiting and sipping his tea. She bit her lip. "I am... pregnant." He looks surprised, but manages not to spill his tea. "Excuse me... But... beg your pardon?" She blushes. "Unohana-san... She confirmed it yesterday." He instantly connected the dots, but took a moment to process this. "Sogyo..." Sogyo had of course heard everything, and sensing his father's shock and imprecise mood, appeared looking very pale. "Y-yes...?" Jushiro looks at him. "Is there something perhaps you have been… hiding?" Sogyo looks like a troubled child fearing his life. "U-uhm..." He gulps. "We... Well... we di-didn't know… how..." He trails off, looking extremely unsure and worried. Jushiro looks at him with a sigh. "Didn't know how to tell me? Really? You didn't know how to tell me?" He looks a little upset. "You're my zanpaktou." Yuzu looks just as guilty as Sogyo, but stays quiet. Jushiro then turns to Yuzu. "And you, Yuzu-san…" He looks defeated. "You aren't children… Shouldn't you have been a little more careful? Human or zanpakuto, both of you had it in you." Sogyo bites back a smart comment that would have earned him a disapproving glare. Karin couldn't believe that the captain was giving the 'OMG you're pregnant!' speech. Yuzu and Sogyo were by now feeling like the worst people in the world, staring at the ground in silence and shame. Jushiro was just proving to be a good parent and friend.

After lecturing them some more, Jushiro finally dismissed both of them away to let them talk. They sat outside in an awkward silence, staring at the grass as if it would talk to each other for them. The grass, to say the least, did not, although the crickets were in very high spirits, only making their awkwardness worse. Sogyo clears his throat quietly. "So..." Yuzu nods, biting her lip. "…Yeah." The awkwardness continued for another minute or so, and Sogyo decided to nervously change the subject. "We didn't think he would... well..." Yuzu chews her lip nervously. "…get mad. It surprised me, too... He rarely gets mad even at us... But..." She nods. "Yeah... I'm in trouble too." He glances at her from the side. "We are... sorry... we guess... Is that what we're supposed say here?" The awkwardness was still almost unbearable. Yuzu looks unsure. "Um... I... I don't really know…" Sogyo bites back a laugh. "You know, when dad said that... we wanted to make a joke… But we like existing." Yuzu had truthfully thought a similar thing, and resists a laugh. "It was hard to resist." Sogyo nods. "It was funny…" She nods in agreement. "It's probably a good thing you didn't, though." Sogyo sighs, dejected. "Dad is going to be upset with us for a while…" Yuzu looks apologetic. "I'm sorry…" He shakes his head. "It's our own fault."

Another moment of silence followed, before Yuzu blushes. "For the record… I still don't regret anything." He blushes, looking slightly unsure. "R-really...?" She nods. "I don't... I mean, it felt good at the time..." She blushes further. "And I guess this isn't so bad. I mean, I have Karin to look after me and we are going to our family's house, right?" Sogyo nods thoughtfully. "We thought that you would at least be mad at us…" She shakes her head. "It takes two to mess up like this. I just have a few things to ask..." She looks unsure. "Does a being a carrier... Well, what does it mean?" Sogyo looks thoughtful. "Apart from the obvious, carriers can bring life into Soul Society. They also have rare traits..." Yuzu looks curious. "Rare traits?" He nods. "They have the ability to be very powerful, and it comes near naturally. They also occasionally have rare gifts." Yuzu looks surprised. "Powerful? Why's that? Aren't I just a normal soul…?" Sogyo shakes his head. "No, not quite. Unlike in the human world, where being impregnated, the baby that is born is human, so they have little power or anything at all. But their soul has been reincarnated into the new world in a human form. But you will give birth to a soul. Souls don't have the human component of course. Souls born into this world are most often born with higher reiatsu. If your body can't handle the soul's growth and need for reiatsu, then your soul will wither. That why you have the greatest potential for power." Yuzu looks thoughtful. "I see." She looks at Sogyo. "Why were you able to do it though…? I thought you, or taicho was born here." Sogyo shakes his head. "Dad wasn't born here. He died. He was however adopted into his family so long ago, that it's hard to find on records. His mother was a carrier, and he was only ten when he was adopted. That's about as much as we remember from dad's memory. It's hard to tell if you are a carrier or not, but usually souls lose that ability. We can't really explain because there are lots of things that could have happened… But it's most likely because dad is a carrier." Yuzu looks confused. "I thought carriers were only female..." He looks thoughtful. "Not all males have the ability, the carrier ability crosses over for males, too. It's just obviously different." She nods thoughtfully. "So, then... Did you know...?" He shakes his head. "It's hard to tell until you..." He blushes. "...impregnate someone. So... no, but we don't really understand how it's possible for us... Or what happened at all, really."

Yuzu smiles a little. "Well... You know, I'm kinda glad that this happened... I've always wanted to be a mom. Maybe not so young, but... that can't be changed. So… thank you, Sogyo." Sogyo blushes a little. "It's okay. Don't hesitate to ask if you need anything, Yuzu-san. We will help you when we can, and dad will support you too. He is just a little shocked right now. We promise." Yuzu looks surprised, and can't help tearing up. "Aren't you too busy to look after a child?" He shakes his head. "We follow through with what we start, Yuzu-san, no matter what we do." Yuzu blushes and sighs, feeling relieved. She was worried that Sogyo wouldn't be there for her child, but it turned out that she was wrong. "Thank you." He smiles a little. "You're welcome. We still love you." Yuzu hugs him tight, almost knocking him over. "I love you, too. And I'm glad I remember you, because I'd be lonely without you…" Sogyo kisses her head, hugging back. "We won't let that happen, promise."


	8. Farewell for now

**stands there awkwardly... So I know I'm doing really badly with writing and keeping my time ok... I'm sorry... :((( I really hope my chapters are worth the wait.. I'm sorry if they are not :(((**

**bleach belongs to kubo tite**

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After their somewhat awkward start of the day, Yuzu and Sogyo decided to use the day very productively. Yuzu lay down on the grass by the lake while Sogyo crouched near the water, playing in it with his hands, curiously waiting for the koi in there to look at him. They chatted about anything and everything that came to their mind, since it had been so long since either of them had seen each other. Sogyo also seemed curious about the baby. Evidently, he had never had much to do with babies, so it was a very interesting topic for him. Yuzu found it really amusing. Sogyo also told her more about Jushiro's past, and some of the things that went on in his world. They weren't interrupted at all, because Karin decided to take up Jushiro's offer of a lift into Seireitei to see Toshiro, while he went and saw Retsu. Yuzu looks thoughtful. "Is it possible for… say, someone like me to see someone else's inner world?" Sogyo shakes his head. "No, not in history so far. But… I think if someone was really keen, they could go to Twelfth division. They'd probably have some weird device there..." Yuzu nods. "Nobody seems to like Twelfth division..." Sogyo smiles. "They just don't like the captain. Kurotsuchi-taicho is a creepy, mad scientist. And if he got his hands on you, he would probably experiment on you and cut you up, and do really creepy things. Most of his subjects die, that's why no one likes him... But he has saved Soul Society many times." Yuzu puts a hand on her belly. "That's... Is that even allowed?" Sogyo nods. "He is in charge of his own division. We can't say much to stop him." Yuzu sighs. "Soul Society is a scary place..." Sogyo smiles sadly. "That's why we didn't want you to die so early…" Yuzu smiles a little. "It's okay. Nobody could've stopped it." Their chat was interrupted by quiet footsteps. Jushiro had returned, and he drops down beside the two with Karin. Sogyo immediately looks shy, not sure if his dad was still mad. Yuzu sits up with a gulp. "T-taicho..." He nods. "Have you made your decision, Yuzu-san?" She looks blank for a second, before realising what he meant. She replies, putting a hand to her belly instinctively. "Y-yes… I'm keeping the baby." He looks thoughtful. "I'm glad. You're sure about this?" She nods, determined, and he sighs. "I'll have to talk to your father then, see what he wants to do." He didn't seem mad anymore, but Yuzu and Sogyo still remained cautious. Sogyo speaks up quietly. "What did Unohana-taicho say...?" Jushiro looks at him. "She can help you. She had dealt with a few carriers before, so it's fine. I'm going to bed early tonight, so that I can wake up early for work tomorrow." He stands, and smiles gently before walking inside. Both Yuzu and Sogyo looks relieved. "Dad's not mad anymore... We are glad." Karin holds back a smile. "You two did ask for that though. Even so… he really got mad at you both. I didn't expect that." Sogyo smiles a little. "He gets mad at us occasionally when we do wrong when we visit. He is our dad after all... So he should get mad, too." Karin looks thoughtful. "He doesn't look like the type, though. People aren't always what they seem." She smiles. "We should go inside. It's starting to get cold, and you have to look after yourself more now, Yuzu." She nods with a blush. "Yeah... I know." Sogyo helps Yuzu and Karin up politely, walking them inside before going home. Everyone retired rather early that night.

The next morning, Jushiro was up and gone before the girls woke up. Yuzu woke up with morning sickness again of course, but now that her sister knew how to look after her, it was fine. Sogyo appeared after a while in his shikai form, scaring the girls again. Yuzu and Karin had taken to sitting outside with their feet in the water, and Sogyo appeared behind them innocently. Both girls had seen more than enough horror movies, and they got scared easily. Sogyo cluelessly apologises, having scared the girls a few times now. "Are we really that scary?" Karin shakes her head with a blush. "No... Just human memories. It's alright." Sogyo sits beside Yuzu. "Are human kids really that scary?" Yuzu bites her lip. "It depends on what movie you're watching..." The twins look confused. "Huh?" Karin looks at them. "You don't want to know, believe me." They nod. "Okay..." They suddenly look happy. "Your dad is coming to pick you up today." The girls look surprised. "So soon?" The twins nod. "He sent us a message. That's why dad sent us to tell you." The girls smile. "That's awesome. When is he coming? Wait… does he know about..." Yuzu trails off, and Sogyo nods. "That's why he is here so early." Karin looks unsure. "So we are going to be staying with his family?" He nods. "They are going to look after you both. They know too, and they are fine with it." Yuzu looks thoughtful. "Your dad said you knew them, right? What are they like?" Sogyo giggles, which immediately was a sign that this family might be... interesting. "Kuukaku-san is fun, but loud and violent. She is head of the house. Her brother is fun too, but we haven't really played with him much. We couldn't come out when they were nobles." Yuzu and Karin looks surprised. "What?" Sogyo looks blank "What what?" Yuzu looks confused "Is dad… a noble?" Sogyo nods. "Well... he was. But that's a long story, you should ask Isshin-san about it." The girls look thoughtful. "Dad was a shinigami. He showed us." The girls think back, remembering him in the black and white robes of the shinigami. "How do you know him?" The girls turn, looking at Sogyo "And if you guys know him, then he obviously wasn't just someone unimportant." Sogyo immediately looks unsure if he should say anything. "We... All captains know the noble families." Yuzu looks at him uncertainly. "Was that all?" Sogyo was spared from answering by a shout. "Hey!" Isshin walked over, announcing his presence. "Ah, look at my beautiful flowers!" The girls stand and hug him. "Dad!" The Sogyo twins looks at each other, relieved. The girls then look at Isshin questioningly. "We are going home with you, right?" He nods. "It's going to be a little bit awkward for a while, but you two are going to love it." Isshin looks at Sogyo "is Ukitake seeing them off?" Sogyo shakes their heads. "Nope, we are. We have orders to make sure all three of you get there safe." He smiles. "Ah, thanks, Sogyo no Kotowari." They nod and stand. "It's okay, we haven't been around in a while. Dad asked us to pass on a message." Yuzu looks at the boys. "How do you guys know each other?" Karin looks just as interested, and Sogyo looks at Isshin. Isshin sighs. "Let's get home first. I'll explain everything."

Sogyo ended up being carried in Yuzu and Karin's arms about half way. They were quite light, and the girls offered so they accepted, since they were getting a little tired. Eventually the five got to the outskirts of Rukongai, and finally after traversing a bit further out, they came to their new home. The girls could only stare in shock. The house seemed small, with one doorway leading into the house, but that wasn't what shocked them. There was a gigantic chimney that was much bigger than the house. In front of the house, stone columns shaped like arms and fists held a huge banner announcing the house. Sogyo laughed. "Look! They are arms. Is that normal?" Isshin looks unsure. "Well, I'm not sure..." He chuckles. "Come, girls. You really don't want to be late for dinner." Yuzu and Karin set the twins down, and they head into the house. The door led straight down into the ground before they walked into a long hall with doors on one side. They went to the main room where two males stood guard, and upon seeing Isshin, knocked and opened the door into the room they were guarding. Isshin and crew went in to the room, and sat across from a busty woman smoking a long pipe. Her hair was black and messy and a bandage was wrapped around her head. She was wearing red and white. She looked stern, and she also had a wooden arm. She looks at the two girls sceptically. "I hope you two aren't like your brother." They look surprised, and blushes. "Uh, no..." She nods. "Good." Then she looks at the twins, recognising Jushiro's reiatsu in them, before questioning Isshin. "Who am I looking at?" Isshin motions to the girls. "Yuzu and Karin." They bow politely, and then he motions the kids. "They can introduce themselves." One of the twins reach into their sleeves and walks over, bowing politely. "Sogyo no Kotowari, Zanpaktou of Juusanban tai taicho. He requested us to give this to you." She takes the envelope they give her. "You two are so cute. Why are you giving me this?" They look thoughtful. "Because we want to?" She frowns. "I don't take charity." They smile. "We know. You can do whatever you wish with it." Sogyo goes to Yuzu and hugs her, before bowing politely and vanishing. Isshin looks at the girls. "Girls, this is Shiba Kuukaku." She nods. "Your rooms are up the hall. I'll have Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko show you the way. Bedding is already in there." As if they heard an unspoken order, the body guards enter and kneel before shouting in unison. "Follow us please!" Soon the girls were led to their rooms, and Isshin to his, so that everyone could settle in before dinner.


	9. Feeding the minds

**ok... So I know it's been a really long time... (Putting it really politely...) lately Ive been struggling to write a sentence... so it has taken this long to finish this chapter.. And I know it's getting shorter and shorter with each chapter too.. But I cant write right now, so I'm really hoping I don't get killed for this, but I need a break to get the ideas flowing again, but before then, have this last chapter, and if it's lame.. Then my deepest apologies for wasting your time, I am trying to do better...**

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The girls soon found out what kind of household they had moved into; a loud, abusive and rather exciting one. But then again, they realised that they should have expected this from their father's family. Ichigo eventually came by, making the violence worse immediately. It seemed he had a grudge against Ganju, who was Kuukaku's brother. While Yuzu was struggling to get used to their spontaneous actions, Karin had adopted to everything rather quickly.

After the quite eventful dinner and initial greetings, Isshin finally sat down with his children outside to explain everything. The breeze blew gently, and they were comfortable in the shade. Isshin sighs. "Alright, ask me anything." He looks at his children expectantly. Yuzu questions, uncertainly. "How do you know Ukitake-taicho...?" Isshin smiles. "Because he was a fellow captain several years back." Ichigo didn't look as shocked as the girls did, as he has had his suspicions. "Tell us everything." Isshin chews his lip. "Okay. I am Isshin Shiba, their uncle." He points his thumb toward the house. "After all the academy nonsense, I became a part of the Gotei, and eventually became captain of the Tenth Division…" Karin looks surprised. "Wait, does that mean Toshiro knows you?" Isshin nods, and grins. "He was my third seat. He did my paperwork for me most of the time. The fukutaicho was Rangiku Matsumoto. She still is, if I understand correctly." Ichigo looks unsure. "So, you were the captain of Tenth and know everyone. Fair enough." Ichigo sifts through what Isshin had already told him. Yuzu speaks up. "I was told you were a noble..." Isshin nods. "The Shiba family was one of the great houses... Until I left Soul Society. The house fell after that." They look surprised. "Why did you leave?" He smiles. "I fell in love with your mother… And when you three came along, I realised I had other things I needed to do." The girls look at the house. "So, what about them? What happened to your family?" Isshin sighs. "Well, naturally, they weren't impressed, until they found out what happened. Then they were fine with it." Yuzu looks thoughtful. For some reason, the Shiba family sounded important. For a moment, she felt like she had heard that name sometime earlier, but was not sure when. "Is it just because you were a captain that Ukitake-taicho knows you?" Isshin looks indecisive for a split second, before choosing not to share it, and waving it off. "Yeah, I got along well with Shunsui and Jushiro..." Ichigo looked suspicious, but decided not to ask.

Ichigo then turns to the girls. He knew they still didn't know a lot, but it wouldn't hurt them not to know the whole truth. "So, you two like it here?" He was evidently unaware yet of Yuzu's condition. She smiles. "Yeah, it's nice so far. I mean, the dying bit was scary, but I'm alright now." Karin smiles. "It's nice to be closer to everyone." Ichigo nods. "That's good to hear. Your friends miss you already..." Ichigo looks a little sad. "Your funeral was the other day." They look a little sad with this knowledge, but they did show it. "It's kind of weird..." Yuzu nods in agreement with Karin. Ichigo looks at Yuzu. "I heard you have been sick lately. You alright?" She blushes instantly. "I'm fine... It's just morning sickness and stuff." He nods. "That's good to hear." It took a while for it to sink in, before he looked at her in shock. "Wait… what?" Yuzu blushes worse. "Uh… Yeah." Ichigo looks puzzled. "Aren't they pregnant people who get morning sickness? Is that even possible?" Yuzu nods with a gulp. "I was pretty surprised, too..."

"Yuzu… What are you saying?" Ichigo stands. "Who did it?" Yuzu is starting to get worried. "The father… He's… Sogyo-kun." Ichigo looks shocked. His hand tightens around the hilt of his sword. "He's so dead." Yuzu looks shocked. "Onii-chan… Please, don't. It wasn't only his doing..." Ichigo still looks pissed. "Well, you can't get pregnant on your own, can you?" Yuzu is stumped. "N-no..." Ichigo starts to stomp off and Yuzu stands, tearing up. "It was my fault, too. Please, onii-chan, don't hurt Sogyo-kun... Ukitake-taicho is already mad at him." Ichigo stops and crosses his arms. "He is?" Yuzu nods. "Yes, he told us both off. He already feels guilty. Just, please… Please leave Sogyo-kun alone. He is willing to look after me and everything. He is a good person. So, please..." Ichigo looks at Yuzu, frowning, but eventually sighs, because he can no longer be angry while Yuzu was upset. "Fine... But I WILL kill him if you get hurt because of this." Yuzu nods. "I swear I'll be safe..." Despite how unsettled Ichigo was, he fumbled an excuse and left the girls and Isshin, muttering something about a hollow. It was hard for him to accept that his sister was pregnant.

Ichigo decided to go see Rukia, and after checking her house, went to find her at the Thirteenth squad barracks. He still wasn't great at sensing reiatsu, so he took a while to actually find Rukia. She was in the office with Jushiro, who was working behind his desk quietly. Ichigo walked in without knocking, forgetting whose office it was. "Hey Rukia... Oh, Ukitake-san..." Jushiro looks up, surprised. "Ichigo-kun..." Rukia looks at Ichigo in shock, before looking pissed. She stands up, walks over and smacks the back of Ichigo's head hard, making him bow down. "What's the idea, barging in like that?!" Ichigo flinched. "I was looking for you..." Jushiro smiles. "Let him go, Kuchiki-san. It's alright." Rukia sighs and reluctantly lets him stand. "Yes, taicho." Jushiro looks at Rukia. "You can take a break, if you like. You have been working hard today, Kuchiki-san." Rukia questions with a bit of a blush. "Are you sure, taicho?" He nods with a smile. "Sure, go ahead. Please don't kill Ichigo-kun, though." She nods, before grabbing Ichigo's sleeve and dragging him back out of the office. Ichigo, whose head was still hurting, was also still annoyed with the news Yuzu dropped on him, so he grumbled. Rukia finally stopped and looked at him. "What is so important that you had to be so rude?" Ichigo looks annoyed. "I just wanted to see you. Is there something wrong with that?" She sighs. "No... But I was working. And you just disrespected my captain." He sighs. "I'm sorry, alright? I'm just really annoyed." Rukia raises an eyebrow questioningly. "Why?" Ichigo looks grumpy. "Some bastard got Yuzu pregnant." Rukia looks surprised. "Wh-what? You mean, her soul is?" He nods. "It shouldn't even be possible... I'll kill the guy who did it. What was his name again…? S… Shu…" He realised that he didn't remember the name of that bastard, nor did he know who that bastard was. Rukia however looks thoughtful. "That's interesting. And I assume you're talking about Sogyo no Kotowari." Ichigo nods, firing up. "Ah, that's the bastard's name. I'll kill him." Rukia nods, biting her lip. "Do you even remember who 'they' are?" Ichigo goes to argue, but had nothing to say. Rukia sighs. "Thought so. You can't kill Sogyo, and just so you know, they are Ukitake-taicho's zanpaktou. You know, those little kids. Their bankai form is a grown up version, and they combine into one in that form." Ichigo looks stunned for a second, before getting even more pissed. "Those bastards..." Rukia sighs. "Let it go already, Ichigo. Even if they did allow you to fight, you would get your ass handed straight to you." Ichigo grumbles loudly. "...whatever." Eventually Rukia did manage to talk some sense into Ichigo, and they relaxed for the rest of the afternoon.

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**I don't know how long it's going to take for me to get back, but hope fully when I can write again, I can give you guys more then one chapter...**


	10. The fight

**ok... So your welcome to throw things at me.. Or beat me up or whatever... I know it's been way to long... But my writing block is leaving me in a wireless hole of inspirationless darkness... 0.0 **

**gomenasai...**

**bleach doesn't belong to me..**

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Jushiro had already assumed what Ichigo's problem was when he barged into his office, completely pissed off. When Rukia confirmed that, he decided to finish up his work and leave the office for the day. Instead of going home however, he seeked out Ichigo, who had taken refuge on the Soukyoku hill. Truthfully, Ichigo didn't really let go of his grudge. He was just forced to face that he probably couldn't take on a captain's zanpaktou, But since he had beaten Byakuya, what stopped him from beating another captain's zanpaktou? Jushiro sat beside him politely. "It's a nice view up here, Ichigo-kun." Ichigo, not realising Jushiro had joined him, jumped in surprise. "Ukitake-san!" Jushiro looks amused. "Yes, it's just me." Ichigo bites his lip, looking away, remembering his earlier rudeness. "Uh... Sorry for being so rude earlier today." Jushiro smiles. "It's fine. I am not mad at all. But something else is on your mind, isn't it?" Ichigo looks at him surprised, before looking depressed. "I guess so..." Jushiro looks gently, questioning. "Can I assist you with anything?" Ichigo looks at Jushiro. "Yuzu is pregnant. And I can't even do anything about it." Jushiro nods. "I was pretty shocked when I found out as well." Ichigo raises an eyebrow. "Why you?" Jushiro smiles. "I was looking after your sisters until your father came here. It's a rather rare occurrence to find a soul like hers." Ichigo clenches his fist. "I wish I could beat up the guy who did it." He trails off, realising he'd again forgotten the one at fault. "Damn it..." Jushiro looks thoughtful. "Would that really make you feel better?" Ichigo nods. "Yeah… I mean, I guess if he was better than me, I could at least know he could protect Yuzu." Jushiro looks out over Seireitei. "Usually, I don't condone fighting pointlessly. But I can understand where you're coming from. You're a great brother." Ichigo sighs. "I question that..." Jushiro smiles at him. "Would you do me a favour, Ichigo-kun?" Ichigo looks unsure. "What kind of favour?" Jushiro smiles. "Would you mind visiting that large building over there tomorrow?" He points to the Thirteenth division training building. Ichigo looks confused. "Why?" Jushiro looks thoughtful. "Can you trust me?" Ichigo sighs. "Yes, sir... What time?" Jushiro smiles. "In the morning." He stands up with a sigh. "Take care, Ichigo-kun." Jushiro left just as quickly as he came, leaving Ichigo a little bit more then confused, and slightly shocked that the Captain had just made him actually talk about what was bothering him. He didn't often speak about these sorts of things with anybody. It wasn't that he didn't like talking, he just didn't like worrying anybody.

Ichigo kept his word the next day. He wasn't sure where the captain wanted him to go, but when he got to the large building, he found it was almost like an arena. Stands stood around what looked like a training area. Someone dressed in blue sat beside Jushiro, and the Captain sat comfortably on the stands, drinking tea. Ichigo approached him, confused. "Ukitake-san? What am I doing here?" Jushiro looks thoughtful. "I would like to let Sogyo no Kotowari apologise to you." The figure in blue looked at Ichigo, and he instantly remembered the name. "Is he the one?" Jushiro nods. "I personally believe that one should make up for their own mistakes. So, you can both talk. Or fight. Your choice. Either way, we can all leave here rested." Ichigo could barely believe what he was hearing. Jushiro was actually going to let him get revenge. Sogyo no Kotowari stood up before him, bowing respectfully. "How can we make it up to you, Kurosaki-san...?" For a second, Ichigo stood there stunned, before gripping the hilt of his sword, his choice evident. Sogyo nods and flash steps to the centre of the arena, drawing his fans, soon to be followed by Ichigo, who unsheathed Zangetsu. Jushiro takes to watching the two quietly, drinking his tea.

Ichigo looks determined and Sogyo apologetic. "You should use your bankai, Kurosaki-san." Ichigo looks unimpressed. "You don't think I can take you on?" Sogyo shakes his head. "We just don't want to hurt you. Yuzu-san won't like it." Ichigo looks annoyed. "I'm going to beat you up so bad, little brat!" Ichigo holds Zangetsu forward. "Bankai..." His reiatsu burst out around him, and when it clears, Ichigo was in the black robes of his bankai, his thin black zanpaktou at his side. "Tensa Zangetsu!" Ichigo did look rather frightening. He was a force to be reckoned with. Sogyo however did not fear his bankai. Even if he lost, he would return to Jushiro's side. Ichigo points at Sogyo. "Can you use your bankai like that?" Sogyo nods. "We don't intend to, though." Ichigo flash steps, appearing instantly at Sogyo's side. However, Sogyo is just as quick, as Ichigo had to dodge Sogyo's fan, which he soon realised was not just for show, when he got scratched on the cheek. Ichigo looked stunned before gritting his teeth, determined to win. Sogyo turns to face Ichigo. "Speed is not going to beat us, Kurosaki-san." Ichigo dashes forward, bringing Zangetsu down heavily on Sogyo's head, only to find his strike blocked by another fan. Sogyo blocked with one hand, turning his fan in the other and strikes Ichigo's chest, sending him flying. He'd used the blunt end this time though, so Ichigo didn't get injured. Ichigo slid to a stop, panting heavily. That hurt like hell. He was almost sure he had broken a few ribs. While Sogyo had his fans, he was going to be near impossible to defeat. Ichigo took a second to catch his breath, before trying a different method. He used Tensa's speed to circle Sogyo and aim for his back. However, Sogyo simply side stepped, dodging the strike altogether as if he lived to fight that way. Sogyo had barely moved for the whole of the fight. He wasn't enjoying the fight, that much Ichigo could tell. He must have been insanely powerful though if he could block Zangetsu so easily.

The fight had started to draw a crowd. Shunsui had turned up as soon as he had sensed Jushiro's reiatsu in the fight. Shunsui appeared in a rush, something that was rare for him to do at all. He never rushed, not even if he was late. He calmed as soon as he realised Jushiro wasn't in danger, and dropped down beside him with a sigh. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Jushiro smiles. "No, I didn't know you worried so much about me." Shunsui frowns. "Considering you have only just got off your death bed, anyone would be worried." Jushiro raises an eyebrow. "I can handle this myself, you know, mom." Shunsui shakes his head. "So, why the fight anyway?" Jushiro goes back to watching the fight. Ichigo was still not getting anywhere. "Ichigo-kun and Sogyo are fighting out their differences. It was quite shocking for him to learn that his sister is pregnant." Shunsui looks surprised. "What? They passed over a few weeks back, right?" Jushiro nods. "She is a carrier, rather inconvenient, if I must say... But these things happen." Shunsui looks thoughtful. "Yeah, sounds like it... I always thought those kids would get into more trouble than they can handle one day." Jushiro sighs. "Well, this is their problem, they can figure it out." Shunsui nods in agreement. "Though I thought you didn't condone fighting..." Jushiro frowns. "I don't. They just chose this method." Their conversation was interrupted by Rukia just then. "Taicho? What's happening here?" Jushiro puts a hand up. "Ichigo-kun is sorting out his differences with Sogyo no Kotowari. He will be fine, Kuchiki-san." She still looks worried. "He could die, Taicho..." Jushiro looks disappointed. "You don't really think I'd allow that, would you?" Rukia bites her lip, realising she was being disrespectful. She knelt down, bowing apologetically. "Forgive my rudeness, Sir..." He waves it off with a sigh. "It's fine. Just don't think so little of me, Kuchiki-san. You may sit and watch if you are worried." She nods, and sits nearby.

She couldn't help but worry, especially when Ichigo was sent flying. Soon enough, the fight ended when Ichigo no longer had the strength to lift Zangetsu. By the end, he had barely managed to scratch Sogyo, but that was it. Sogyo was practically untouched nor tired at all. Sogyo offers his hand to Ichigo. "We have already sworn to look after Yuzu-san. We won't fail her." Ichigo had now fought out all his anger, and accepts the hand. "I believe you. Though I will come after you if you fail to do so." Sogyo nods. "We accept that." Sogyo smiles a little. "You know, you're pretty good, Ichigo-kun." He frowns. "I barely touched you." Sogyo chuckles "We are rather old. You haven't had the experience we have, so be proud you could fight us today. Dad probably won't allow it to happen again." Ichigo smiles a little. "Right... He seems amused by our fight." Sogyo nods. "You will find that even the best people enjoy watching a fight every now and then." Ichigo looks up to the old captain before sighing. "Maybe it's not Kenpachi I should fear, then." Sogyo smiles at Ichigo. "You have no idea... Oh, please eat this." The teen offers a sweet. "It will fix your ribs. It's rather impressive you still fought after we broke them." Ichigo looks shocked. "You knew?" Sogyo nods. "A fight doesn't stop for injuries, you should know that." Ichigo suddenly felt a little more uncomfortable being so close to the teen. He took the sweet though and popped it into his mouth. Sogyo nods before vanishing. Rukia then ran up to him and started lecturing him like there was no tomorrow. Everything was normal again.


	11. Stretching her wings

**ok.. So this one was a combination of my admin and my own delay... So... Gomenasai... But.. Here is the next chapter! **

**Bleach is not mine**

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Yuzu never found out about Ichigo's fight with Sogyo. No one particularly worked hard to keep the secret, though just no one specifically said anything about it since Yuzu didn't ask. The captain occasionally visited the Shiba house. He was welcome there and often enjoyed some tea and a chat. Sogyo visited a bit more frequently than him though. Ichigo visited at least fortnightly between his visits to the two worlds he lived in. He had somewhat forgiven Sogyo, since he had proven that he was more badass then Ichigo, without even trying. And as much as that knowledge grated on Ichigo's pride, his sister's safety was definitely assured, which made Ichigo feel better.

Retsu had determined that she was now about two months on. She was now starting to sport her baby bump, the tell tale sign of a mother. Her eating habits had started to change among other things. One thing neither of them expected was random emotional outbursts on the personal side of things. Sogyo would arrive and Yuzu would simply want him, much to Sogyo's shock and amusement. He enjoyed this side of things though at first questioned it, before realising he should just not complain. He caught up rather quickly.

Yuzu was especially teary when she was informed that Jushiro had fallen ill, and insisted on visiting to help him out. No one really minded much except Jushiro, who really didn't like the idea of her doing so much for him in her condition. He worried that it might make her sick as well, but Yuzu remained stubborn. Yuzu had come to realise that she was more sensitive not only to just Sogyo, but when anyone with a zanpaktou visited, she could sense what that zanpaktou was feeling. She wondered if that was because of Sogyo's child or her own abilities. Either way she didn't argue, as she found zanpaktou fascinating. In some cases, if she concentrated, she got flickers of foreign scenes; a beach always came to her mind around Sogyo, a frozen forest around Rukia, and sideways buildings around Ichigo. When Yuzu told Retsu about her visions, she was immediately interested and asked if she could do some tests. Yuzu didn't mind at all. Retsu came to believe that if given time and practice, Yuzu could perhaps communicate with another's zanpaktou. Yuzu of course loved the sound of the idea, and following Retsu's instructions, tried developing her new skills. Retsu found that this ability could come in handy for medical patients in comas. She had done research on it and found that most coma victims hibernated in their inner world until they woke up, meaning it was hard to communicate with the victim. She believed if there was some way to get into there, she could coax these victims from their inner worlds, and out of their coma. This seemed very possible to Yuzu, as even in real life, doctors believed a similar thing.  
At three and a half months, Jushiro had fallen deathly ill, going into a deep coma. Jushiro had caught a cold and then fell ill, and his fragile body obviously couldn't cope with it. Apparently this happened every now and then, but it was still no less upsetting to all those involved.

Retsu was very good at keeping her emotions in check. As much as she loved Jushiro, she had already come to terms with what happens to him. Yuzu however could not stop crying when she visited, probably because of her increasing hormones. Karin held her tightly, staying strong for her sister. Rukia carried on looking after the Thirteenth division, visiting everyday she could. After a few days, Yuzu approached Retsu, saying she wanted to try using her abilities. If it was possible to help, she wanted to. Retsu looks unsure. "Are you sure? You haven't tried with anyone before…" Yuzu nods, determined. "I still want to try." Retsu looks her up and down, admittedly wondering if it would actually work. "Even if this does work, I don't know how you would be affected. You are essentially touching someone else's reiatsu and becoming a part of it. I don't know if that will taint your own reiatsu..." Yuzu looks uncertain, putting a hand on her belly protectively. "But… If I think I can help, shouldn't I try?" Retsu looks at her for a long moment, before sighing. "Follow me, Yuzu-san." Yuzu looks a little confused as Retsu led her into her office and sat down, picking up her own curved zanpaktou. Retsu motions in front of her and Yuzu sits down nervously. Retsu lay her blade in her lap and looks at Yuzu. "Am I correct in assuming that you can sense my zanpaktou's reiatsu?" Yuzu nods, eyeing the blade. She always felt somewhat uncomfortable around her blade, for a reason she could decipher. Retsu nods. "I want you to try and clear your head, and then focus on that reiatsu. Tell me what you see." Yuzu takes a breath and puts aside her thoughts of worry with difficulty. Finally, she manages to focus on the sole reiatsu.

An image of a wide stone pedestal in the centre of a reflective lake. It looked like it was the centre of an old church or temple, only it was in ruins, the ceilings half caved in and the beams standing like skeletons in the darkened sky. The image scared her a little, and she opened her eyes quickly with a deep breath. Retsu looks at her gently. "What did you see?" Yuzu explains the image, and she nods. "That is my inner world." She looks at Yuzu. "Now, I will enter my inner world. I want you to try and join me. Take your time, child, I know I'm not the most ideal person to do this with, but do not fear." She smiles gently and closes her eyes, falling into meditation. Yuzu was by now feeling very nervous. Retsu's inner world seemed rather frightening, but she took a breath, letting her mind go blank again. She again saw the old church, this time however Retsu sat cross-legged on the pedestal. Yuzu gulps nervously, before reaching out for the picture in her mind, and then she was falling for a second. When she stopped, she was on the pedestal across from Retsu, and she suddenly felt very small in this new world. Retsu seemed to be waiting for her, even though she was slightly surprised that Yuzu had indeed entered her inner world. "Y-you made it, Yuzu-san..." Yuzu sits, looking around nervously. The water was perfectly mirrored and flat and suddenly ripples, disturbing the black water. "Am I in your...?" She looks afraid. Retsu nods. "I know this must be frightening for you. As I said, I'm not the most ideal person to teach you. But do you remember how you got here?" Yuzu nods nervously. "I just sort of...reached towards the picture and then I was falling... And then I was here." Retsu nods, looking thoughtful. "Do you think you could do it again?" Yuzu gulps and nods. "I think so." Retsu looks uncertain. "Now, do you think you can find your way out again?" Yuzu suddenly realised she didn't really know how to leave. "Uh... I don't know..." Retsu looks thoughtful again, before bringing her hands up. "Think of my office and imagine that picture here where my hands are. Then do the same thing you did to get here." Yuzu nods and thinks of the office, again reaching out for that image. When she opened her eyes she was panting, but now back in her own mind in Retsu office. Retsu retuned shortly. "Are you okay, Yuzu-san? Such panic isn't good for you, or your child." Yuzu took deep breaths. "I'm fine… It's just..." She wanted to speak her thoughts, but she felt they were too rude to speak out. Retsu nods. "It's fine, Yuzu-san, I can understand your fear. Someone's inner soul is a very private place, something even more intimate than giving yourself to someone. If you're going to react this way, I would advise you to think very carefully on using this ability. You have your child to think of." Yuzu bites her lip, tearing up. "But... What if I don't try and help… and he..." She trails off, and Retsu looks a little sad. "Ukitake-taicho... He always knew that one day, this might happen... as much as he regrets it. For two thousand years he has been fighting. His soul would finally be able to rest..." Yuzu looks upset and stays quiet for a moment, before looking determined. "I still want to try. Even if I can just talk to him, maybe..." She trails off again. Retsu looks gentle. "Let me check you over first, and I will let you choose." Yuzu nods lets Retsu check her signs. At first they were a little strange, but soon they leveled out to how they should be. Any sign of Retsu's reiatsu in her was soon gone. Retsu wrote it all down and soon allowed Yuzu to make her choice, since her body was handling her visit well. Yuzu decided that she definitely wanted to see if she could help Jushiro out, but she would wait for the afternoon to pass, just to make sure she was alright.


	12. Soul searching

**ok, so there's been a bit of a wait, but here you are :) **

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Unohana was rather curious whether if Yuzu could in fact help at all. She was also slightly worried about Yuzu's health. Retsu could understand her reaction to her own inner world, but she wasn't sure what going into Jushiro's world would do. Yuzu was however determined, and soon set to see what she could do. Yuzu cleared her mind and it took a few minutes to find a picture other than Retsu's. She remembered Sogyo saying something about a beach, and that was the picture that appeared when she was near him, so she searched for it. When she finally found it, it didn't look at all the way she usually saw it, or how she thought it would be. It was obviously still a beach, but the sky was stormy, the waves pounded the beach mercilessly with black stormy water, and the wind blew at the trees. Yuzu was instantly a little bit afraid. If those waves got her, she would most certainly be dragged out to sea. She started to wonder if it's possible to die in an inner world. It was really hard to keep a hold on the picture of the beach. Finally, Yuzu took a breath and reached out for that world. After a second and the familiar sensation of falling, she felt herself sink into sand, and an icy wave fell on her, making her splutter. She dragged herself out of the surf and out of the waves range to lay down, already exhausted. Something that Retsu hadn't mentioned was that her presence could be felt by the soul's owner, so naturally, Sogyo didn't take the time to stop and recognise Yuzu's reiatsu when she appeared in their home world.

Jushiro's home world was basically a little island in the middle of an endless ocean. If you tried swimming away from the island, you would just find yourself going in circles and always come back to the same island. When he falls ill, Jushiro took refuge in the middle of the island where there was a green clearing. A large pool collected water there, and it was big enough to sit in. Sogyo could use the water to soothe any illness or pain he had. This was where Yuzu found Jushiro with the twins. Sogyo was instantly on high alert and drew their fans. They could sense everything in the inner world and took to the trees in silence, while still in the shadows. They used their powers to control some vines hanging from the tree above her and tied her to the tree. Yuzu squealed in shock, finding herself trapped against the tree. "H-hey... Sogyo-kun, are you there...?" The twins instantly recognised the sound of her voice and appeared in front of her timidly, shocked to see her. "Yuzu-san…" She gulps nervously. "Y-yeah." The twins instantly release her, though they don't seem keen to come near her, not putting away their fans. "How are you here? Only zanpaktou can visit each other..." Yuzu looks nervous; there was still a sense of danger in this world. "Um... I don't know, Unohana-taicho has been teaching me how to use my abilities..." Sogyo looks unsure. "What? This is strange. What kind of ability allows this? This is..." The twins trail off, looking a little afraid. Yuzu bites her lip. "Ever since I came to Soul Society, I keep getting pictures in my head whenever I'm in company, and they are of people's inner worlds. I see yours a lot... And I know inner worlds are special, but..." She tears up. "I'm really worried about you… Ukitake-san won't wake up and..." She trails off.

The loud sound of thunder and lightning disturbed their conversation, and Sogyo looked immediately more stressed and stepped with agitation toward the forest before looking at Yuzu. They had seemingly decided that something else was more important, before taking off in a run into the forest. Yuzu quickly tries to follow them, however she is too slow. It took her a few minutes to catch up, panting, before she found the clearing that Jushiro was in. Sogyo was obviously worried sick, sitting beside him extremely stressed, while Jushiro lay on the grass, seemingly unconscious, Yuzu felt like she shouldn't be here, but for the moment, she wanted to see if she could help. At first she was afraid to approach, but she took a deep breath, talking herself into walking over quietly. "Is he okay? What's wrong...?" She barely made a sound, but Sogyo heard her perfectly. "Dad isn't well…" The twins look upset. "He is barely waking up. When he does, it hurts so much he goes back to sleep..." Yuzu looks unsure. "It hurts? What do you mean...?" Sogyo looks at her. "You should go. Your soul is in danger here… and so is our baby. Please..." They look upset. "If he wakes up..." Yuzu bit her lip. "Is there anything we could do…? Even if it only helps a little... Please... We can't lose either of you." Sogyo looks unsure. "We don't know... But you have to go." They stand up quickly. "Go. We will force you out if you don't." Yuzu tears up a little, but those words held a slight threat to her and she nods. "Okay..." It was hard for her to leave, knowing Jushiro was really in trouble, but she finally made herself wake up to the hospital room. For a second she could only sit there shocked and a bit traumatised, until finally she registered Retsu was talking to her in a worried voice. "Yuzu-san… What happened? You don't look well." Retsu had knelt beside her and started to inspect her quickly. Yuzu realised she had gone pale and was cold. In fact, when she realised, she also found out that she couldn't breathe properly, She felt faint, and Retsu gently picked her up and sat her on a bed nearby to examine her better. Retsu pales, recognising the symptoms. Yuzu still in shock, but one by one she pieced everything together. Something was in her throat, and she soon found out it was blood. Somehow, even in shock, Yuzu still couldn't help but panic. Retsu looked her in the eyes, and Yuzu felt herself go unconscious.

A few hours later, the kido wore off, and Yuzu woke up lying on her side in a hospital bed covered in heavy but warm blankets. For a second, she didn't remember how she got here. She had to think back to remember that she had tried to visit Sogyo. It took another minute of thinking to remember what had happened to her, and she sat up anxiously looking at herself. She had colour, she could breathe, and her blood was where it should be. Yuzu realised she had been hooked up to a heartbeat machine, and it went a little crazy in her momentary shock. Retsu appeared as soon as the monitor went off. "Yuzu-san... Are you alright?" Yuzu looks a little confused for a second. "I... I think so..." Retsu approaches and checks her signs, looking a little puzzled. "It seems that you're fine... But…" Yuzu bites her lip. "What happened?" Retsu looks at her, a little uncertain. "You... Well, it seems that you were... affected by Ukitake-taicho's reiatsu. Your signs were exactly the same, in fact. But, well, now it seems you're fine." Yuzu looks unsure. "Is that possible? Wait… Is the baby okay?" She puts her hands over her bump worriedly. Retsu kneels down to feel her belly, before looking stumped. "Yes, the baby is unaffected. Just like you are, right now..." Retsu stands. "Do you mind if I take a sample of your reiatsu?" Yuzu looks unsure. "Will it hurt?" Retsu smiles a little. "No, not compared to what you have already went through today." Yuzu sighs and nods. "Okay, then. Sure." Retsu left then, returning with a bracelet, and put it on Yuzu's wrist. It didn't hurt at all; it just absorbed some of her reiatsu harmlessly. When it had taken a sufficient amount, Retsu took the bracket back. Now all that was left was to discuss what happened while Yuzu was visiting Jushiro.


End file.
